Machine for sewing pockets on garments



United States Patent [72] Inventors Hermann Westhoff, Rueckertstrasse 74; Manfred Brokmann, Rehmstrasse 58, Osnabrueck, Germany [2]] Appl. No. 720,631 [22] Filed April 1 l, 1968 [45] Patented Sept. 15, 1970 [32] Priority April 14, 1967, March 1, 1968 [33] Germany [31 Nos. T22,390 and 123,814

I [54] MACHINE FOR SEWING POCKETS 0N GARMENTS 21 Claims, 8 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl l12/l21.15 [51] Int. Cl D05b 21/00 [50] Field ofSearch 112/2, 2D, 2U, 84, 86, 90, I02, 203, 204, 262

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,143,091 8/1964 Arbter 1l2/2(D)UX 3,216,383 11/1965 Bono ll2/2(D)UX Primary ExaminerJames R. Boler Att0rneyArthur O. Klein ABSTRACT: A machine for sewing pockets on garments. The machine has a support with an upwardly directed working surface which is substantially horizontal, and at this support there is a sewing station as well as a preparing station which is adjacent the sewing station. At the preparing station there is a positioning means for positioning a pocket member with respect to the garment with the edges of the pocket member turned inwardly so as to be situated between the remainder of the pocket member and the garment, this positioning means also serving to hold the pocket member positioned with respect to the garment. A transporting means transports the garment and pocket member, thus-positioned therewith, from the preparing station to the sewing station. At the sewing station is a sewing means for sewing the pocket member to the garment along a seam which extends through the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member.

Patented Sept. 15, 1970 j 3,528,378

Sheet 1 .of 4

lnvenfors: H6 mann \A/ESTHOFF Nqn9-PEC1 BROKHANN Patented Sept. 15, 1970 Sheet In ven tors.-

Hermann WEST/{OFF Han}zec1 B H NN their qffo ney BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to machines for sewing pockets on garments.

The conventional sewing of pockets requires a number of preparations and operations which up to the present time have for the most part been carried out by hand. Thus, the pocket member which initially is of a size somewhat larger than the finished pocket must have its edges turned in along three sides of the pocket, the seam which connects the pocket to the garment extending thereafter through the inwardly turned edges of the pocket. After the pocket member thus has its edges turned inwardly along three sides, this member must be placed on the garment and held thereon. With the pocket member thus held on the garment, with the edges of the pocket member turned inwardly to be situated between the garment and the remainder of the pocket member, the sewing operations are carried out so as to provide a U-shaped seam of stitching extending along the edge of the pocket through the inwardly turned edges thereof, for stitching the pocket to the garment.

It is conventional to carry out the turning of the edges of the pocket member inwardly as a separate preliminary procedure, so that a stack of such pocket members with inwardly turned edges is initially provided. This stack is then placed at the sewing machines where a skilled seamstress takes each pocket member from the stack and sews them one after the other onto a series of garments after initially placing the pocket members properly on the garments. In the case where the pocket members are made of a relatively thick or stiff material, it often happens that the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member automatically return, of themselves,to their unfolded condition, thus making it necessary to maintain the stack of pocket members with inwardly turned edges under pressure so that the inwardly turned edges will not return to their initial positions. When such pocket members are removed from the stack it is necessary to manually maintain the edges thereof turned inwardly while placing the pocket member on the garment. These requirements delay and render difficult the placing of the pocket member on the garment, since a careful holding of the pocket member during the sewing operation is essential. Even where there are relatively minor improper operations, resulting from a lack of attention or care on the part of the operator in the manual holding of the pocket member properly on the garment during the sewing, mistakes and unsatisfactory results will follow, requiring separation of the pocket from the garment and resewing thereof, insofar as the latter procedures may be possible to correct any errors.

The inward folding of the edges of the pocket member, the transportation thereof to the sewing machine, the handling thereof during accurate positioning of the pocket member on the garment, and sewing of the pocket member on the garment, during which it is required that the pocket member be held by the operator, requires not only a high degree of care, but also relatively large labor costs and expenditure of time.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of the present invention to provide a machine capable of carrying out most of the above operations which previously were carried out by hand.

In particular, it is an object of the present invention to provide a machine capable of folding the edges of a pocket member inwardly as well as of holding the pocket member with its edges thus folded inwardly in a predetermined position with respect to a garment while the latter together with the pocket member are transported from a preparing station, where these latter operations are carried out, to a sewing station where the sewing is carried out.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a machine which is capable of reducing the labor costs and time required for the operations to a fraction of the corresponding costs and time now required with conventional operations.

Also, it is an object of the invention not only to provide a machine capable of greatly reducing the manual operations but also capable of eliminating errors previously encountered during the manual operations.

With the structure of the invention there is a support in the form of a plate having an upwardly directed work surface, this support having a sewing station and a preparing station. At the sewing station is located a sewing means, in the form of a suitable sewing machine, while adjacent to the sewing station is the preparing station where there is a means for turning the edges of apocket member inwardly while determining the position of the pocket member with respect to a garment and holding it properly positioned with respect to the garment. A transporting means is provided for transporting the garment with the pocket properly positioned thereon from the preparing station to the sewing station where the sewing operations are carried out. In accordance with the invention the structure at the preparing station together with the transporting means and the sewing means at the sewing station are all combined into a single structural unit.

The support of the structure of the invention has at the preparing station a plate portion formed with an opening of U- shaped configuration passing therethrough, a U-shaped member being provided to fill this opening in one position of this U-shaped member where this latter member has an upper surface flush with the upwardly directed surface of the support. A drive which is connected to this U-shaped member is capable of lowering it from the position where it is flush with the surface of the support to a lower position. Situated over the support at the preparing station is an edge-turning means capable of being displaced downwardly into the U-shaped opening and capable of moving transversely with respect thereto. Located closely over and parallel to the upper surface of the support at the preparing station is a shiftable, substantially rectangular, template which can be displaced from a rest position to an operating position where it overlaps the U- shaped opening with outer edges of this template extending parallel to edges of the opening. The U-shaped opening of the support has inner edges smaller than the pocket and outer edges larger than the pocket member. When the template is in its operating position it extends partly over the U-shaped opening and has outer edges situated substantially midway between the inner and outer edges of the opening. The edgeturning means is capable of being displaced downwardly between the outer edges of the U-shaped opening and the edges of the template and may include, for example, three edge-turning members a pair of which are parallel to each other to extend along legs of the U-shaped opening and the third of which extends transversely of the pair of parallel members along a portion of the U-shaped opening which interconnects the legs thereof. These edge-turning members have inner edges which correspond in configuration to the outer edges of the template and which move downwardly past the latter edges of the template while being closely adjacent thereto. In their lower positions the edge-turning members are located closely adjacent to the underside of the template.

The transverse edge-turning member has its ends located adjacent to the outer edges of the opening and has an inner edge located adjacent ends of the parallel edge-turning members with the latter having lower extensions extending beneath the transverse member to guide the latter for transverse movement beneath the ends of the parallel edge-tuming members which are adjacent the transverse edge-turning member. In their lower possitions all three edge-turning members are capable of being shifted transversely of the U-shaped opening to locations immediately beneath the outer edge portions of the template for folding the edges of the pocket member inwardly beneath and around the edges of the template.

The U-shaped member which in its upper position fills the U-shaped opening is formed with a plurality of openings through which holding pins are capable of being displaced upwardly from the U-shaped member, when it is in a lower position, into engagement with the garment, pressing the latter against the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member and pressing the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member against the underside of the template. The members of the edge-turning means are formed with cutouts through which the holding pins are capable of freely passing. The transporting means carries a sewing guide formed with a cutout along which the seam will be produced, this latter guide being moveable in a pair of mutually perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane parallel to the upper surface of the support.

The edge-turning means can also take the form of a pair of angle members each having one leg extending along a side of the U-shaped opening and a second leg extending along the transverse portion of the opening, and these members when lowered to an elevation just beneath the template are angularly displaceable along paths which bisect the angles between the sides and transverse portion of the opening. These edgeturning members will also be provided with cutouts for the holding pins, and in this case these cutouts extend parallel to the direction of movement of the edge-turning members which extends along the paths bisecting the angles between the side and transverse portions of the U-shaped opening.

The invention also may make use of that type of pocket where the corners are inclined at the regions where the sides and bottom of the pocket are located.

The cutouts of the edge-turning members, particularly at the corners where the side and transverse portions of the U- shaped opening are located, are closed by spring-loaded closures which form continuous edges for the edge-turning members at the corners, these spring loaded closure members being swingable so as to provide for retraction of the edgetuming members after the holding pins have passed upwardly through openings which are closed by the swingable, springloaded closure members.

Thus, the machine of the present invention simplifies and reduces the extent of manual operations in connection with the sewing of a pocket to a garment. The only manual operations which are required are the positioning of the garment on the support over the U-shaped opening, and positioning the pocket member, before its edges are turned, on the garment after the template has been placed thereon, with the pocket member being placed on the upper side of the template. These manual operations, which require only the proper positional relationship between the garment and pocket member with respect to the template, can easily be carried out in a short time by unskilled operators. Once these latter operations are performed, all of the additional operations are carried out automatically by the machine until the sewing of the pocket to the garment is completed, and these operations are carried out with great precision requiring only a fraction of the time formerly required for these purposes. A further reduction in time is achieved by carrying out operations at the preparing stations while the sewing operations are going forward at the sewing station on a pocket and garment previously prepared at the preparing station.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings which form part of this application and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a machine according to the invention, various components of which are located over the support of the unit and are omitted from FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary schematic sectional elevation taken along line A-A of FIG. 1 in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a schematic plan view taken along line B-B of FIG. 2 in the direction of the arrows with edge-turning means being shown in FIG. 3 in a lower position just before the edges of the pocket member are turned inwardly;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary schematic sectional elevation similar to FIG. 2 of another embodiment of the edge turning means;

FIG. 5 is a plan schematic view of the structure of FIG. 4,

showing only one side of the structure;

FIG. 6 is a view of the region C of the edge-turning means of FIG. 5, as seen when looking toward the underside thereof;

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary illustration of another embodiment of that part of the structure which is shown in FIG. 6; and

FIG. 8 is a plan schematic view similar to that of FIG. 5 including the region D which is illustrated in FIG. 7 as it appears when looking toward the underside thereof.

DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS As may be seen from FIG. 1, the machine of the invention includes a support I, in the form of a suitable working table, this support I having a sewing station 2 where a conventional sewing machine is located, as indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1. The sewing machine has the sewing head 3 where the actual sewing takes place. Adjacent to and in the region of the sewing station 2, the support I is provided with a preparing station 4 where a structure described below forms a means for turning the edges of a pocket member inwardly and fixedly positioning the pocket member with respect to a garment. The support I carries at its left portion, as viewed in FIG. 1, a transporting means 5, the construction and operation of which is referred to in greater detail below.

At the preparing station 4, the support I has at its flat, smooth upwardly directed surface, which is preferably polished, a plate portion formed with a U-shaped opening 6 passing therethrough and composed of a pair of opposed parallel legs which extend perpendicularly from the left transverse portion of this opening 6, as viewed in FIG. 1. It will be noted that the side legs of the opening 6 are of rectangular configuration and that the transverse portion of the U-shaped opening 6 is also of rectangular cross section extending perpendicularly to the side legs thereof. Within this opening 6 there is disposed a U-shaped member 7 whose configuration conforms to that of the opening 6, and by a suitable conventional drive, such as for example the fluid pressure pistoncylinder driving arrangement 107 (FIG. 2); this member 7 is capable of being displaced vertically, as indicated by the double arrow 8 in FIG. 2, between a starting position where the upper surface of the member 7 is flush with the upper surface of the support 1 and a lower position where the member 7 is situated beneath the upper surface of the plate 1, as indicated in FIG. 2.

Situated closely adjacent to the support 1, directly over the latter and extending parallel thereto, is a plate 9 which is preferably of sheet metal and which forms a template for the folding of the edges of a pocket member. This template 9 is guided by suitable guides, schematically indicated in FIG. 1, and is adapted to be driven for movement back and forth in the direction of the double arrow 10 from a right rest position to the left to an operating position where the template 9 occupies the dotted line position, indicated in FIG. 1, by another suitable drive such as for example the fluid pressure pistoncylinder arrangement 109 (FIG. 1). In the latter dotted line position the outer edges of the template 9 extend to a location situated approximately midway between the inner and outer edges of the opening 6. The rest position of the plate 9 is shown in solid lines in FIG. 1. Thus, in its operating position the template 9 will overlap the inner portion of the opening 6. When the template 9 is in its operating position, the edges thereof may be considered as extending along a center line of the opening 6. However, if desired, the template 9 may overlap the opening 6 to a different extent such as by extending over a distance of one-third of the way from the inner to the outer edge of the opening 6. The opening 6 extends around a fixed portion 11 of the support 1 at three sides thereof, the inner edge of the opening 6 being smaller and the outer edge thereof being larger than the pocket member whose edges are to be turned inwardly.

In other words, the dimensions of the opening 6 can be considered as providing the opening with an outer edge which is located, for example, 2 cm beyond the pocket member before the edges thereof are turned inwardly, and the inner edge of the opening 6 can be considered as located approximately 6 cm inwardly of the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, an edge-turning means is located over the opening 6 spaced above the support 1 in the inoperative position of the edge turning means. This edgeturning means includes a pair of side members 12 respectively aligned with the side portions of the opening 6 and a transverse member 13 aligned with the transverse portion of the opening 6. These members 12 and 13 may be in the form of simple metal strips. At the starting position shown at the upper part of FIG. 2, the edge-turning means has its members 12 and 13 located in a common horizontal plane parallel to the surface of the support 1. The members 12 and 13 are capable of being vertically displaced, as indicated by the double arrow 14, and for this purpose a suitable drive as, for example, a conventional fluid pressure piston-cylinder arrangement 115 (FIG. 2) is operatively connected with the members 12 and 13. This drive includes, for example, piston rods fixed to the members 12 and 13 and connected to unillustrated pistons which are situated in cylinders so that the pistons can be pneumatically displaced, for example, and after the edge-turning means has been lowered to an operating position, in the manner described below. A structure 215 slidably carries the portion 315 of the cylinders 115 which can be transversely shifted by a conventional fluid pressure piston-cylinder arrangement 113 (FIG. 2); in a direction which is horizontal and parallel to the surface of the support 1.

The three members 12 and 13 form in plan a structure of U- shaped configuration conforming in size and shape to that part of the opening 6 which is not covered by the template 9 when the latter is in its operating position, with the inner edges of the members 12 and 13, when projected onto a horizontal plane where the template 9 is located, being located closely adjacent to the outer edges of the template 9 so that the mem bers 12 and 13 can pass downwardly beyond the template 9 while being closely adjacent thereto. The transverse member 13 terminates in a pair of ends which form extensions of the outer edges of the members 12. These members 12 terminate adjacent to the member 13 in ends located closely adjacent to the inner edge of the member 13. At these ends which are adjacent to the member 13 the members 12 have extensions 16 fixed thereto and forming a guide for the member 13, these extensions 16 extending beneath and beyond the members 12 to a location beneath the member 13 so that the latter can be displaced to an elevation somewhat below the members 12 to move to the right, as viewed in FIG. 2, beneath the left ends of the members 12. The extensions 16 terminate in outer free ends which are aligned with the outer edge of the transverse member 13. Thus, these extensions 16 respectively form with the members 12 slots into and out of which it is possible for the member 13 to be transversely shifted.

The U-shaped member 7, which is capable of being raised and lowered also by a suitable conventional drive, such as for example the fluid pressure piston-cylinder arrangement 107, for example, is formed at its region which is covered by the template 9 with a plurality of openings 17 through which holding pins 18 are capable of being vertically displaced. These holding pins 18 are capable of being displaced independently of the movement of the member 7, and for this purpose also a pneumatic means is provided. For example, as is indicated schematically in FIG. 2, each pin 18 can take the form of a piston rod fixed to and extending from a piston 19 capable of being displaced in a cylinder 20 bya suitable pressure medium, such as air under pressure, the cylinders 20 being respectively carried directly by-the member 7 at the underside thereof. The edge-tuming members l2, 13 are formed with notches 21 (FIG. 3) extending inwardly from their inner edges to provide the edge-turning means with cutouts through which the holding pins 18 can freely pass. Thus, the top ends of the holding pins 18 are capable of moving upwardly beyond the edge-turning members 12 and 13 toward the template 9.

FIG. 2 also illustrates a holding plate 23 situated over the template 9 and capable of being displaced vertically through a suitable drive which includes, for example, a piston rod 22 fixed to the holding plate 23 and connected to a piston 220 which is displaceable in a cylinder 230 through a pressure medium, such as air under pressure.

The transporting means 5 includes a sewing and holding guide 24 which is formed with a U-shaped opening 25 passing therethrough and forming a guide for the seam which will stitch the pocket to the garment. This guide 24 which is parallel to the surface of the support 1 and adjacent thereto is carried by a holding arm 26 of the transporting means. The holding arm 26 which carries the guide 24 is itself supported by a carriage 27 which can be moved back and forth in a straight line, by a suitable drive mechanism described hereinbelow as indicated by the double arrow 30, along suitable guide rods 28. These guide rods 28 in turn are guided for movement to the right and left, as shown by the double arrow 31, in FIG. 1, by suitable guide rods 29, so that in this way the guide 24 is capable of being shifted by a drive mechanism described hereinbelow in a pair of mutually perpendicular directions in a horizontal plane which is parallel to the support 1.

In the illustrated example, the drive for the carriage 27 takes the form of a rotary pinion 32 driven from any suitable motor, transmission, or the like and meshing with a U-shaped rack 33 fixed to the carriage 27, so that while the pinion 32 rotates about its axis during the sewing operation the carriage 27 will be respectively shifted in the directions of the double arrows 30 and 31. The rack 33 has a configuration corresponding to the path along which the pocket is to be stitched to the garment. The entire transport means 5 is positioned with respect to the preparing station 4 and sewing station 2 in such a way that the guide 24 can be moved from a position situated over the opening 6 to a position at the sewing station 2 for starting the sewing operation, and then the conventional drive from the pinion 32 and rack 33, such as for example disclosed in US. Pat. No. 2,142,476, will enable the seam to be stitched along the opening 25.

The garment which is to be provided with a pocket is first placed on the upper surface of the support 1 in such a way that the part of the garment which is to be provided with the pocket is situated over the opening 6 and the U-shaped member 7 therein. After the garment has thus been properly situated on the support 1, the template 9 is shifted to the dotted line position thereof shown in FIG. 1, and to the solid line position indicated in FIGS. 24. In this way the template 9 will extend over the garment which is on the support 1. The proper positioning of the garment can be carried out in a highly accurate manner by providing on the garment suitable markings for indicating how the garment is to be positioned with respect to the template 9. With the template 9 thus positioned over the garment, the pocket member is placed on the template 9 without the edges of the pocket member being turned inwardly. Thus, along the three edges of the template 9 which overlap the opening 6, the edges of the pocket member will project beyond these edges of the template 9 with a portion of the pocket member of uniform width extending along the edge thereof beyond the member 9. In order to hold the pocket member in this position on the member 9 the holding member 23 is lowered to engage the pocket member and hold it against the upper surface of the member 9. At the same time the pressure derived from the member 23 will hold the garment properly positioned between the member 9 and the support 1.

After, or simultaneously with, the lowering of the U-shaped member 7 approximately to the position indicated in FIG. 2, the pair of parallel side edge-turning members 12 are lowered until the top surfaces thereof are situated slightly beneath the underside of the template 9. As a result the outwardly projecting edge portions of the pocket member are turned downwardly beyond the opposed side edges of the member 9 in the opening 6. Now the 215 which is connected to the cylinders whose pistons are connected through the rods 15 to the members 12 is shifted horizontally by the piston-cylinder arrangements 113 to displace the members 12 inwardly toward each other while maintaining them parallel to each other, so that these members 12 will extend beneath the opposed side edges of the member 9 overlapping the latter through a width of approximately l 1 5 mm along each of the opposed sides of the member 9. This displacement of the edge-tuming members 12 will result in curving or turning of the side edges of the pocket member around the outer opposed side edges of the template 9. Now the transverse edge-tuming member is operated in a corresponding manner so as first to be displaced vertically downward into the opening 6 at the transverse portion thereof, and then in a corresponding manner is shifted horizontally to the right, as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, so that this member 13 will now also extend beneath the member 9 through a width of approximately 10l5 mm. The extensions 16 thus form a guide for the member 13 to achieve a precise turning of the transverse bottom edge of the pocket inwardly around the template 9, and the precision of the turning of the edge of the pocket member is particularly apparent at the corners of the pocket.

While the U-shaped member 7 remains in its lower elevation shown in FIG. 2, the holding pins 18 are displaced upwardly through the openings 17 and through the openings 21 of the edge-turning means to press at their upper ends against the garment, at the underside thereof, and this pressure is transmitted from the holding pins 18 through the garment to the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member now situated between the garment and the template 9. Thus, these holding pins 18 will reliably maintain the edges of the pocket member in their inwardly turned positions during the horizontal and vertical retraction of the edge-tuming means to its starting position. After, or simultaneously with, the vertical upward movement of the edge-turning means to its starting position, the lowered U-shaped member 7 is raised to its starting posi tion where its upper surface is flush with the upper surface of the support 1, and then the holding pins 18 can be lowered simultaneously to a corresponding extent inasmuch as the position between the pocket and garment will be maintained at this time by the member 7 when it is in its upper position. Thus, the pins 18 will remain in engagement with the garment to maintain the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member in their inwardly turned positions engaging the underside of the member 9 until the member 7 has reached its upper starting position so that the member 7 will itself now take over the holding of the pocket member and garment properly positioned with respect to each other. Thus, the lowering of the holding pins 18 will displace them out of engagement with the garment.

During the above-described operations, a previously prepared pocket and garment have the sewing operations performed thereon at the sewing station 2. The sewing operation will terminate approximately simultaneously with the positioning operations at the preparing station 4, and now the guide 24 is moved from its end position at the end of the sewing operation by way of the guides 28 and 29 cooperating with the carriage 27, respectively through the chain and sprocket wheel drive arrangements 275, 276, 277 and 270, 271, 272, to a position where the guide 24 will be located over the pocket member which now has its edges turned inwardly and which is fixed in a predetermined position with respect to the garment. Simultaneously with the approach of the guide 24 to the preparing station the holding plate 23 is raised upwardly, the member 7 coacting with the plate 9 to hold the parts in their predetermined positions at this time. The raising of the holding plate 23 can be effected, for example, with the aid of a piston-cylinder arrangement 260 which is connected to the' holding arm 26 and pushes downwardly on the surface 261 of the transporting means 5. Suitable stops at the guides 28 and 29 or other suitable position-determining means are provided so that the guide 24 becomes properly positioned at the preparing station 4 in such a way that the opening 25 in which the seam is to be subsequently stitched becomes precisely located over the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member which thus will be freely accessible through the opening 25.

Thus, the guide 24 itself will engage the upper surface of the pocket member and will take over by its own weight and pressure the functions previously performed by the holding plate 23 so as to maintain the pocket member in a fixed position with respect to the garment. For this purpose in addition to its horizontal movement it is possible to provide for the guide 24 a small degree of up and down movement which can be achieved by providing the holding arm 26 with a small degree of swinging movement through a springy connection thereof with the carriage 27 for example. The elastic connection between the holding arm 26 and the carriage 27 can also be effected by means of a torsion spring 262, for example. With the guide 24 thus positioned on the pocket member, the template 9 is retracted back to the solid line position thereof shown in FIG. 1, and the sewing guide 24 is now advanced by the carriage 27 to the sewing station 2 where the guide 24 is shown in FIG. 1. The movement of the sewing guide 24 from the preparing station 4 to the sewing station 2 and vice-versa is effected by the chain and sprocket wheel drive arrangement 275, 276, 277 and 270, 271, 272, while the movement of the serving guide 24 during actual sewing is effected by driving of the rack 33 by the pinion 32. Now the sewing operations can take place in the opening 25. Because of the pressure of the member 24 on the pocket member and the garment there beneath and because of the polished surfaces of the members 7 and 1 as well as of the template 9, it is pomible for the template 9 to be retracted to its starting position and for the pocket member and garment therebeneath to be shifted to the sewing station without any relative movement taking place between the pocket member and garment. While the sewing operation takes place at the station 2 the above operations are simultaneously repeated at the preparing station 4 on the next garment and pocket.

In the embodiments of the invention which are illustrated in FIGS. 4-8, the edge-turning means, instead of including three members 12 and 13 as described above, includes a pair of angle members 34 each having one leg located in a side portion of the opening 6 and a perpendicular leg extending along part of the transverse portion of the opening 6. The construction of each angled edge-turning member 34 is apparent from FIG. 5 which shows only one half of the structure at the preparing station situated on one side of the central line 35. The other half is symmetrical with respect to the structure shown in FIG. 5.

Each angle member 34 has a leg 37 extending parallel to the edge 36 of the template 9 and a perpendicular portion 39 extending parrallel to the edge 38 of the template 9. In the illustrated example, for the purpose of turning inwardly the edges of a pocket of rectangular configuration which has right angles at the intersection between its sides and bottom edge, the edges 36 of the template 9 are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the transverse edge 38 thereof. In a corresponding manner the legs 37 and 39 of each angle member 34 are perpendicular to each other. The dot-dash line 40 of FIG. 5 indicates a line which bisects the right angle between the edges 36 and 38 of the template 9. Each angle member 34 is provided with elongated notches through which the upper ends of the holding pins 18 can freely pass, and these notches take the form of elongated openings 41 extending inwardly from the inner edges of the member 34 parallel to the line 40. Thus, the center lines 41' of the cutouts 41 are parallel to the bisectingline 40. These slots or openings 41 terminate at the inner edge 42 of the angle member 34. A corresponding notch or elongated opening 43 is located precisely at the intersection between the legs 37 and 39 of the member 34. This opening 43 is situated in such a way that its center line coincides with the bisecting line 40. Therefore, this cutout 43 interrupts, directly at the corner of the edge-turning member 34, the inner edge 42 thereof, so that such a construction will not result in the desired triangular folding of the pocket member at the lower comers thereof.

Therefore, in order to close the opening 43 at the region of the inner edge 42 a spring-loaded closure is provided having the construction illustrated in FIGS. and 6. Thus, each edgeturning member 34 is provided at its underside with a pair of swingable closure members 45 pivotally carried by pins 44 fixed to the member 34 and shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 in the closed position extending across and closing the opening 43 at the region of the edge 42. In their closing position the closing members 45 abut against each other along an edge 47 which coincides with the center line of the opening 43. Thus, with this embodiment each closure member 45 serves as a stop for the other closure member to determine the closed position thereof. The outer edges 48 of the closure members 45 which extend across the opening 43 form continuations of the inner edge 42 so that during the inward turning of the pocket member at a comer thereof the edge-turning means presents a closed edge to the pocket member.

In order to turn the edges of the pocket member 49 which is situated on the template 9 with its edges extending beyond the edges 36 and 38 of the template 9, the edge-turning member 34 is actuated, in the direction of the double arrow 14 by a conventional fluid pressure-piston-cylinder arrangement 115, which is supported on a member 341 slidably guided in a member 341. The support member 341 is itself driven by a conventional fluid pressure piston-cylinder arrangement 342. While the member 7 is in its lower position so that the member 34 will be situated slightly beneath the template 9 and then both of the angled portions 37 and 39 of the member 34 are simultaneously moved in the direction of the bisecting line 40 beneath the template 9 so that the pocket has its edges turned around the edges 36 and 38 of the template 9 and forms a triangular fold at the corner of the pocket.

Then the holding pins 18 are raised to hold the garment and pocket member fixedly positioned with respect to each other while the edge-turning member 34 is then retracted in the inward direction of the double arrow 50 shown in FIG. 5. During this retracting movement of the members 34 in a horizontal plane, the pin 18 at each comer of each holding member will engage the inner edges of the closure members 45 to spread them apart from each other in opposed directions, respectively, as indicated by the curved arrows 145, so that the closure members 45 can swing apart from each other at their formerly abutting edges 47 to move past the holding pin 18 at the comer of the pocket. Springs 46 which are schematically indicated in FIG. 6 urge the closure members 45 into engagement with each other, and these springs yield during retraction of the member 34 horizontally along the bisecting line 40, the closure members 45 now being swung by the holding pin 18 outwardly away from each other in the directions indicated by the arrows 145 in FIG. 6. Once these members 45 are retracted beyond the pin 18 the springs 46 return them automatically to their closing positions.

The embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 corresponds in principle to that of FIGS. 5 and 6. However, with this embodiment a structure is shown for the special purpose of providing a pocket which will have inclined comers. Thus, with this embodiment the template 9 will have correspondingly inclined comers 51, and the inner edge of the opening 6 will have the configuration corresponding to that of the template 9 at its outer edges 36, 51, 38, shown in FIG. 8 for one-half of the structure on one side of the center line 35. The member 7 will also have a corresponding configuration in this case so that this member 7 has the inclined edge 52 indicated in FIG. 8. In addition, the inner edge 42 of each angled edge-turning member 34 is provided at its comer with a correspondingly inclined part 53.

At the ends of the inclined edge 53, the inner edge 42 is pro-' vided with a pair of parallel inwardly extending notches 43' which also extend parallel to the bisecting line 40. A closure member 45' is provided for each of the openings 43'. These closure members 45, shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, extend in their closing positions substantially parallel to the openings 43 and they are interconnected by a spring 46' which urges the pivotally mounted closure members 45' toward each other. However, these closure members 45' are provided with closing extensions 54 which respectively extend across the openings 43' and butt against the inner edges thereof which are nearest to each other, in the closing positions of the members 45'. In these closing positions, the closure members 45' form continuations of the inner edge 42 of each edge-folding member 34.

Thus, a closed continuous edge is provided for the member 34 at the inner edge thereof which engages the pocket member. At the same time, the closure members leave the inner ends of the openings 43' uncovered so that the holding pins can pass freely therethrough, and, as was the case with the holding member 45 of FIGS. 5 and 6, at their inner edges the closure members extend in an inclined direction across the openings 43' so as to facilitate displacement of the holding members 45' in opposition to the spring 46 by the pins 18 during retraction of the edge-turning member 34 horizontally away from its position extending beneath the outer edge portion of the template 9.

The above-described embodiment of the invention are provided in connection with pocket configurations which have straight lines which are perpendicular to each other. However, it is also possible to use the invention with pocket configurations where, for example, the side edges of the pocket extend at an obtuse angle from the bottom edge of the pocket. In such a case, it is sufficient to provide the template 9 with a corresponding configuration and to provide the edge-turning means with corresponding configurations. It is important where the edge-turning means takes the form of a pair of angle members as shown in FIGS. 5-8 that these edge turning means move horizontally in a direction along the line bisecting the angle at the intersection between the sides and transverse edges of the template. In this way, there is an assurance that the inner edge 42 of each edge-turning member will engage, during its inward displacement, the edge of the pocket member at all points simultaneously to uniformly turn the entire length of the pocket member at its outer edge portion around the edge of the template. In this way the material of the pocket member will be properly turned around the edges of the template and it will not be possible for the material of the pocket member to be turned in an undesired direction.

As has been indicated above, it is preferable to use, for the drives, fluid-pressure operated drives, such as pneumatic drives. Of course, the machine can be provided with suitable controls for the movement of the components thereof, to bring about in an automatic manner the required sequence of the movements of the components as well as the desired extents and directions of movements thereof. The chain and sprocket wheel drives and the fluid pressure piston-cylinder arrangement drives which are used for operatively moving the several elements of the devices of this invention are of the conventional types used in comparable devices of the prior art. For example such drives are illustrated and described in detail in U.S. Pat. No. 3,143,091. Of course, it is possible within the scope of the invention to change certain details of the machine described above. Thus, for example, instead of the carriage 27 with guides 28, it is possible to use other equivalent components and guides. Moreover, the holding plate 23 and the template 9 may, for example, both be heated or separately heated when, for example, a heating of the material of the pocket member will facilitate the inward turning of the edges thereof. Such a heating may, for example, be desirable when the material of the pocket member includes plastic yarns.

We claim:

1. In a machine for sewing a pocket on a garment, a support having an upwardly directed surface provided with a sewing station and a preparing station adjacent said sewing station, positioning means located at said preparing station of said support for positioning a pocket member on a garment, with edges of the pocket member turned inwardly to be situated between the remainder of the pocket member and the garment, and for holding the pocket member thus-positioned on the garment, sewing means at said sewing station for sewing the pocket member to the garment along the inward turned edges of the pocket member, and transportingmeans coacting with said positioning means and sewing means for transporting the garment with the thus-positioned pocket member thereon from said preparing station to said sewing station without changing the position of the pocket member relative to the garment so that the pocket member will be sewn thereto in the position determined at said preparing station.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said positioning means, transporting means, sewing means, and support all form a unitary machine assembly.

3. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said support has at said preparing station, to form said positioning means, a plate portion formed with a substantially U-shaped opening passing therethrough and a substantially U-shaped member having an upper position filling said opening and flush with the upwardly directed surface of said plate portion, means coacting with said U-shaped member for lowering the latter to a location beneath the upper surface of said plate portion, edgeturning means aligned with said U-shaped opening for displacement into and transversely of said opening for turning an edge of a pocket member, and a template situated over said plate portion for movement to an operating position partly overlapping said U-shaped opening and having outer edges around which the edges of the pocket member are turned by said edge-turning means.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said U-shaped opening has an inner U-shaped edge smaller than and situated inwardly of the intumed edges of the pocket member and an outer U-shaped edge larger than and situated outwardly beyond the pocket member.

5. The combination of claim 4 and wherein said template is displaceable from a position situated beyond said U-shaped opening to said operating position where edges of said template are located approximately midway between said inner and outer edges of said U-shaped opening.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said edge-turning means has a substantially U-shaped configuration and conforms in its size and part of said U-shaped opening which is not covered by said template when the latter is in said operating position thereof, said edge-turning means having an inner edge substantially in alignment with but movable past the outer edges of the template when the latter is in its operating position so that said edge-turning means can be displaced past the edges of said template to a location slightly beneath the latter for movement transversely of said U-shaped opening to turn the edges of the pocket member inwardly beneath the template.

7. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said U-shaped opening has a pair of opposed side legs and a transverse connecting leg extending between said side legs, said edge-turning means including a transverse turning member aligned with said transverse leg of said U-shaped opening and having ends aligned with the outer edges of the side legs of said U-shaped opening, and said edge-turning means having a pair of elongated side members respectively aligned with said side legs of said opening and terminating adjacent said transverse member in ends aligned with an inner edge of said transverse member, and said side members of said edge-turning means respectively having extensions situated beneath said transverse member of said edge-turning means and guiding said transverse member for movement beneath the ends of said side members toward and beneath the template during turning of an edge of the pocket member.

8. The combination of claim 7 and wherein a drive means is operatively connected with said members of said edge-turning means for moving the latter downwardly into said U-shaped opening with said side members of said edge-turning means location with the location and size of that located close to but just beneath the elevation of said template and with said transverse member situated just beneath said side members on said extensions thereof, and said drive means coacting with said members for displacing said pair of side members inwardly toward each other to locations overlapping and situated beneath opposed side edges of said template for turning the edges of the pocket member beneath the latter and said drive means advancing said transverse member along said extensions of said side members beneath the latter and an edge of said template for turning a third edge of the pocket beneath the template.

9. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said U-shaped member of said support has a lower position situated beneath the upper surface of said plate portion when said edge-turning means coacts with said template for turning the edges of the pocket member around the edges of the template, said U- shaped member of said support being formed with a plurality of openings situated beneath said template when the latter extends partly across said U-shaped opening, and said U-shaped member of said support carrying a'plurality of holding pins displaceable through said openings thereof into holding positions in engagement with the garment positioned thereover in alignment with the inwardly turned edges of the pocket member for holding the inwardly turned edges pressed against the template and the garment pressed against the inwardly turned edges, said U-shaped member of said support carrying also a means for displacing said holding pins to and from said holding positions thereof, said edge-turning means being formed with cutouts through which said holding pins pass when displaced upwardly through said openings of said U- shaped member toward said template.

10. The combination of claim 6 and wherein said U-shaped opening has a pair of opposed parallel side legs and a transverse leg interconnecting said side legs and being substantially perpendicular thereto, said edge turning means including a pair of angled members having portions respectively situated in said side legs and portions situated in said transverse leg of said opening, and means connected to said members of said edge-turning means for displacing the latter inwardly along lines which respectively bisect the angles between the side and transverse legs of said opening so that said members can move beneath the template to turn an edge of the garment pocket member therebeneath.

l l. The combination of claim 10 and wherein said U-shaped member of said support carries holding pins displaceable into holding positions engaging the garment and aligned with the inwardly turned edge portions for pressing the latter against the underside of said template, said angled members of said edge-turning means respectively being formed with elongated inclined cutouts extending parallel to the paths of movement along the lines which bisect said angles and through which said holding pins extend.

12. The combination of claim 11 and wherein each of said angled members has at the intersection between its portion an elongated inclined cutout extending along the path of movement which bisects said angle and through which a holding pin is adapted to extend.

13. The combination of claim 11 and wherein said U-shaped opening has inclined corner portions interconnecting said side and transverse legs, and said edge-turning means having said angled members thereof provided at the angles between said portions with inclined edges corresponding to said inclined corner portions of said U-shaped opening, and each angled member of said edge turning means being provided at the intersection between the ends of its inclined edge and the inner edges of said angular portions with a pair of said cutouts extending parallel to the direction of movement along the bisecting line for respectively receiving holding pins.

14. The combination of claim 12, and wherein a springloaded closure means closes said cutout of each angled member and in its closed position forms a continuation of the inner edge thereof.

15. The combination of claim 14 and wherein said closure means includes at the underside of each angled member a swingable closure plate.

16. The combination of claim 15 and wherein each inclined cutout is closed by a pair of said swingable closure plates which have edges abutting against each other in their closed positions and substantially coinciding with the line bisecting said angle.

17. The combination of claim 13 and wherein a pair of closure plates are swingable beneath the pair of cutouts at the ends of each inclined edge of each angled member and said closure plates respectively engaging inner edges of said cutouts which are nearest to each other in the closed positions of said closure plates.

18. The combination of claim 15 and wherein each closure plate has distant from the inner edges of said member an edge inclined across the cutout to be cammed by a holding pin to an open position during withdrawal of the edge-turning means from beneath the template while the holding pins remain in engagement with the garment.

19. The combination of claim 3 and wherein an upper holding plate is displaceable to and from a position situated over said template for holding the pocket member positioned thereon during withdrawal of the template.

20. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said transporting means includes a supporting arm, a holding and sewing guide carried by said supporting arm and formed with a slot for determining the path of the seam, and a carriage carrying said supporting arm for moving the latter in a substantially horizontal plane parallel to the upper surface of the support in a pair of mutually perpendicular directions.

21. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said upwardly directed surface of said support as well as the upwardly directly surface of said U-shaped member are both polished, and said template also being polished. 

